Support our work at Abernethy

Abernethy Forest, in the Scottish Highlands, teems with life and includes the biggest single remnant of Caledonian pinewood left in the UK.

Over a period of 200 years we hope to regenerate and expand the valuable forest to its natural limit: a further 3,000 hectares (12 square miles) - reshaping the Scottish landscape forever.

In the shorter term, we'll also be researching what happens to young ospreys after they leave the nest, surveying species on the reserve and ensuring that it continues to support endangered wildlife.

You can support our work at Abernethy today with either a one-off donation or a regular gift.

As a regular donor, you'll become a Friend of Abernethy and receive updates on the project, as well as invites to special events at the reserve. They allow us to show you firsthand how your support is making a real difference to this breathtaking nature reserve.

However you decide to support our work at Abernethy, you'll be helping us to deliver vital conservation work.

What we'll be doing

Abernethy contains the UK's largest remaining area of native pine forest. Birch, juniper and willow colonised it 10,000 years ago, and pine followed about 7,500 years ago.

To make it a bigger and better home for wildlife, we're removing exotic plantations to make way for native species, and restoring bog woodlands where wetland wildlife can thrive.

We will be planting thousands of trees, but that's not all. We also want the trees to grow back under their own terms. At the moment, seedlings can't fight through the thick cover of heather. But by burning or cutting away the heather that stands at the edge of the treeline, they'll be able to do just that.

It's not just about trees, though. Our reserve is also the focus for vital research and monitoring work. This year we're running a reserve-wide dotterel survey. It will help us monitor how well dotterels are doing on the reserve, so we can plan for their future.

It is only with this type of scientific research that we can plan the best course of action for dotterels and other species that call this reserve home.

Abernethy Forest will help us respond to new conservation challenges such as climate change and rapidly declining biodiversity, too.